Locsin: Exploration of the West PH Sea gas must be with China ‘ unless other individuals step up ‘

The Philippines must investigate oil and gas reserves in China, which are thought to be deep under the West Philippine Sea, unless other individuals step up

Manila and Beijing signed an agreement on joint oil and gas exploration during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China last week, and another on the push for belt and road infrastructure, Locsin stated during a budget briefing before the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives.

The top diplomat said the oil and gas exploration agreement in the Philippines would tap private business.

The top diplomat said the oil and gas exploration agreement in the Philippines would tap private business.The Philippines and China agreed to undertake joint oil and gas exploration at the West Philippine Sea, the exclusive economic zone of Manila in the controversial South China Sea.

While China continued to claim unquestionable sovereignty over almost all the resource-rich waters, it ignored the arbitration win of the Philippines in July 2016, when a tribunal backed by the United Nations invalidated Beijing